MMGM: Nest

by Esther Ehrlich (September 9^th 2014, Wendy Lamb Books)

(Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC)

Book Description:

It’s 1972 and Naomi Orenstein lives in beautiful Cape Cod with her psychiatrist father, dancer mother, and teenage sister. But their idyllic life is brought to a halt when her mother is diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and falls into a deep depression. 

Told in first person, Nest chronicles a brief but pivotal time in a young girl’s life as she deals with loss, grief, growing up, and the prejudice that her Jewish family sometimes faces.  

Pros:

There are a few genuinely good points in Nest; chief among them is the writing. Ehrlich is a very competent writer; her language is lyrical and evocative. 

Another aspect I found enjoyable was the setting. The author’s paints an idyllic and beautifully dreamy Cape Cod that would have been a great place to mentally visit had it not been for the heavy subject matter.

There is also a broad spectrum of important issues discussed here: from mental health to the Vietnam War, and I appreciate that the author reined in these subtopics and mainly focused on the central issue. 

The inclusion of bird trivia, though not wholly successful, is also a nice touch.

Cons:

The one thought that kept popping in my head the entire time I was reading Nest was “you know what they say about good intentions…” and that is the primary problem.

All of the author’s intentions are telegraphed to the reader far ahead of the events. 

The beginning itself was too emotional too quickly, and in the most off-putting way.

Despite the author’s aim to be sincere, a lot of the emotional scenes seem like blatantly transparent attempts to pull on heartstrings. Even when Naomi’s mother’s ailment is revealed, it is info-dumpy and soulless instead of being moving or heartfelt.

Naomi is no help, either. I simply couldn’t relate to her at all. One minute she sounds like a caricature of childish six-year-old, the next she is spouting medical information.  She wasn’t believable as a child or a real person. This problem is only exacerbated by the frequently dull and uneven first person narrative. 

There were also a lot of missed opportunities as far as conveying the problems of a different time and generation. All the seventies references were either completely irrelevant or too vague to be understood by modern audiences. 

But the real deal breaker is that Nest is – simply put – boring. It’s the sort of book that you force children to read because it’s about “Important Things”, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a child who would voluntarily read it.

Verdict:

Too contrived and deliberate for adults and too dull and depressing for children, Nest is a book that will struggle to find an audience. 

Rating: (4.5/10)

Get it on Book Depository

For more excellent MG book recommendations, go to Shannon Messenger's blog.

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MMGM: Sisters

by Raina Telgemeier (August 26^th 2014, Scholastic)

Book Description:

Sisters follows fourteen year- old Raina as she, her brother, sister, and mother go on a road trip from California to Colorado.

Stuck in a van for a whole week with her hyperactive brother and bratty sister, Raina is trying her best to shut them out and survive the trip, but things don’t go as planned.    

Alternating between past and present, the narration mainly focuses on the relationship between Raina and her sister, Amara. 

Pros: 

There is no stand-out this-is-amazing! moment in Sisters. Rather, it is a simple tale told with humor, wisdom, and intelligence. 

Despite the small amount of text, there are no cardboard characters here. Everyone from Raina to her family is individual and well-constructed. 

The drawing style is clean and streamlined and the few colored illustrations I saw were very well done. But Telegmeier’s real gift is in smart, funny dialogue and the ability to convey so much with so little. 

Many topics are touched upon, from Raina’s love of drawing to feelings of not fitting in, to the complexity of family dynamics. The best part though is none of it feels rushed or shoehorned in. Everything is seamlessly intrigued. 

Raina herself is a complex and relatable character: artistic, empathic, and sometimes timid, I think many readers can easily see themselves in her. Amara, her sister, is also artistic and despite her love of animals, doesn’t share Raina’s more gentle qualities.

Their relationship is the beating heart of Sisters. They understand each other, annoy each other, but always love each other. And this is where Sisters shines brightest, capturing the small and the big moments of a relationship that is always more than the sum of its parts. 

Cons:

Honestly, aside from the fact that I couldn’t enjoy the full effect of the color illustrations (because I got an ARC), Sisters was pretty much pitch-perfect. The only drawback I can think of is that it may not appeal to readers who prefer more action.

Verdict:

Deceptively simple, Sisters is story full of heart, humor, and fun that will please anyone willing to give it a chance. 

Rating: (8/10)

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For more excellent MG book recommendations, go to Shannon Messenger's blog.

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Scarlett

by Cathy Cassidy

(Oct. 19^th 2006, Viking Juvenile)

Book description:

12-year old Scarlett’s parents are divorced and she hasn’t been coping well. She acts out and gets into fights. Now, after being kicked out of her fifth school in two years, her mother is at her wit's end, and decides to send her to live with her father in Ireland. There, Scarlett is surprised to find a welcoming step-mom and sister and even more surprised to find that there is a baby on the way. 

But Scarlett’s hates it here. She lives in small cottage in the middle of nowhere and has to go to a one-room school with a bunch of elementary kids.  That is, until she meets handsome Kian, who might just give Scarlet a reason to stick around.

Pros:

The best thing about Scarlett is that it is first and foremost an enjoyable read. There are a lot of books out there that deal with divorce and the effect it can have on children and the book does deal with those issues, but without being too preachy or letting the subject-matter take over the story. 

Scarlett’s voice and personality are pitch-perfect. Cassidy has really captured the confusion and frustration of being that age and going through a tough time.  It’s hard to make a main character that’s privileged, bratty and immature likable, but once you understand the impact that Scarlett’s parents’ divorce had on her and the real pain and abandonment she feels, all you want to do is to give her a huge.

The adults are harder to like, but very realistic and well-realized. They mostly want Scarlett to behave but don’t want to take the time to understand why she’s acting out in the first place. I found it especially unfair that her parents wanted her to move on, because they have, without helping to do so. 

Clare (Scarlett’s step-mom) was a wonderful addition. She was such an emphatic person who genuinely cared for Scarlett and was willing to give her the attention and understanding she so desperately needed. 

Cons:

Kian isn’t the most realistic teenage boy. He’s a good-looking bad boy who literally came into Scarlett’s life on a gleaming horse with the wind in his hair. And though he is in no way a bad character, I would have liked it better if he was more normal or just a friend, rather than a fantasy dream boyfriend.

I also wish the Scarlett’s father had learned as much form this experience as Scarlett and her mother did. I felt that that author blamed Scarlett’s mother (who was guilty of a few things) more than her father, who I think could have owned up more to his part in the Scarlett’s downward spiral. 

Verdict:

Scarlett takes you on a beautiful and rewarding journey, pulling you in with its warmth and vivid characters, a story that’s suffused with an everyday magic that will stay with you longer than you think. Recommended to anyone who has ever felt lost or misunderstood. 

Rating: (8.5/10)

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